District IV hopeful Joe Casello mocked the city's branding campaign, "Catch a wave, catch a fish…but we're not catching any business," he said. "You walk across from City Hall and there's a liquor store and a check cashing place."

Candidates were asked by a member of the chamber where they would like to see downtown in five years.

Mayor candidate Jerry Taylor wants more development, District III's Michael Fitzpatrick would like to see a train transfer station, while illuminating Boynton Beach Boulevard is a priority for District III's Ken Hall. District I's David Merker wants to link the city more closely with Bethesda Hospital and District III's James Brake wants more than just restaurants downtown.

"We don't have much of a destination, we have an economic hole in the ground. You go to a restaurant and then you go home," Brake said.

But it's hard to attract developers to a city when the commission is in disarray, said District IV candidate Cory Kravit.

"All the headlines make Boynton Beach a risky city to invest in," Kravit said.

Step one is bringing order and professionalism back to the city, said mayoral candidate Steven Holzman. He wants to implement a civility code for commission meetings, so the city can get back to doing business.